


Don't Hold Your Tongue

by Pipermccloud



Category: Disney - Fandom, Rescuers Down Under
Genre: Abuse, Child Abuse, Disney, Disney villain, Horror, Joanna - Freeform, Knives, McLeach, Other, Percival C McLeach - Freeform, Torture, What if Disney Weren't Pussies With Their Villains
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:28:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28286985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pipermccloud/pseuds/Pipermccloud
Summary: Cody's stubbornness both impressed and frustrated McLeach, but he had plans to break the boy's silence on where the golden eagle was nesting.
Relationships: enemies - Relationship
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bambi and Gabby](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Bambi+and+Gabby).



The fact the little blond remained so defiant impressed McLeach as much as it frustrated him. No matter what he tried, the boy still refused to tell him where the golden eagle was nesting, even after he threw knives into the map behind him in an attempt to intimidate him. In fact, the brat had the gall to get up in his face about it, pushing against his nose with his own as he glared, not breaking eye contact.

McLeach had to admire that, but he knew that the kid wouldn't budge. He kicked his pot of heated water in anger, sending it spilling all over the floor, bits of ember flying as he stood there, fuming.

What would it take for Cody to relinquish the location?

As he stormed to the small area that served as his kitchen to grab some paper towels, his gaze fell upon the butter knife that he had left out from this morning's breakfast, the soft light bouncing off of the shiny metal had drawn his attention. A dark thought crossed his mind. He had merely threatened the boy with his hunting knives earlier, but he hadn't intended on actually hurting him with them, but if that is what it would take, it might as well be worth a try.

"Hm, should I?" McLeach wondered aloud to himself. "He's just a kid..maybe just a nick, somethin' to scare him. Yeah, that'd do." He scratched the back of his head as he turned back to the sitting area of his lair. He went back to the spot where the water had spilled on the stone floor, throwing the towels down and pressing them hard with his boot. He then strode past Cody, ignoring the boy's eyes glaring into his back, and to his shelf, pushing aside a box of spare trap parts until he found what he was looking for.

Opening the first aid kit, McLeach gave a grunt of satisfaction at seeing that it was mostly full; iodine, bandages, band-aids a sewing needle, and surgical thread. He didn't intend on hurting Cody that badly, but just in case, and he'd need the band-aids anyway. No use in the kid getting an infection while he was still needed.

He tucked the kit under his arm before making his way back to Cody, wrenching one of his knives from the map behind the child. Cody stared up at him, frowning and with the defiant look strong in his eye.

  
"Ya still makin' that face?" McLeach loomed over him so the boy had to crane his neck up further. "That's not scarin' me, you know." He held up the knife, looking it over. Smooth, sharp tip, slightly curved. He pressed his thumb into it, feeling its sharpness. "This is your last chance to tell me where the eagle is, boy."

"I won't tell you!" Cody exhaled sharply. He noticed the way the poacher was handling the knife, goosebumps rose on his arms and his eyes widened.

"Ah, you know what this is for, doncha?" A smile crept across McLeach's face; he squatted down to the blond's height, letting the light bounce off of the blade. "I gave you a chance."

Before he could bring the blade close to Cody's face, the boy lashed out with his leg in an attempt to keep him away. mcLeach grabbed his leg to keep it from hitting him, giving him enough time to talk, to beg him no, to tell him where the eagle was so he wouldn't get hurt. He was frightened, but he didn't relent.  
His choice made, McLeach pulled the boy's leg up, and made a shallow cut across his shin. The sharp cry of pain was almost satisfying, but then Cody started to struggle, and the man let go, letting the boy fall off of the tortoise shell, and he hit the ground with a solid THUD. 

  
Blood oozed from the wound as Cody attempted to sit up, but he wasn't able to do much with his hands bound. He rolled onto his stomach, trying to squirm away. In all honesty, it looked pitiful. 

Cody started to yell when McLeach pressed his foot on his back, pinning him against the rough stone floor. The man pressed harder, making him whimper.

  
"I gave you an option." McLeach reminded him, "And you are going to pay for wasting my time. You brought this on yourself." He lifted his boot. "Get up." 

Now visibly trembling, Cody sat himself up, leaving a smear of blood on the stone as he did so. He wasn't so defiant now; he knew that the poacher meant business. Tears were welling up in his eyes, and he attempted to blink them back; he was like a cornered animal, unable to defend himself.

The boy was scared; good. McLeach grabbed him by the back of his shirt, pulling him to his feet, and dragged him to what functioned as his kitchen, lightly pushing him into a chair to sit. 

"Now you stay there." He instructed. He saw how Cody's frightened eyes flickered around the room; there were just as many sharp, scary objects in here, he was probably wondering which one was going to be used on him next, and a sick idea wormed its way into the man's mind when he saw Cody linger a little too long on the blowtorch against the table.

Well, he wouldn't actually harm him with it, but Cody didn't know that now did he?

As McLeach reached for the torch, Cody cowered, drawing his legs up and making the rickety wooden chair wobble. 

"I said **STAY**." The harsh tone made Cody freeze. "The more you disobey me, the worse I'm going to make you hurt." He fiddled with the torch, checking the gauge on the side. 

"Y-you can't do this!" The boy's confidence from earlier was gone. "You'll get in big trouble if anyone finds out!"

"You know very well that I **CAN**. Everyone thinks you're dead, kid. That means nobody, and I mean **NOBODY** , is gonna come lookin' for you, you're stuck here, with **ME** , and I can do whatever I want to you. I can _cut you, skin you, burn you, starve you, drown you_ -" he started listing off the things he could do to the boy, watching as his face grew in horror. "You are nothing to me, but another animal in my hands."

He set the torch down, but that did not make Cody relax in the slightest. 

"In fact.." McLeach's voice softened, like a velvet-coated dagger. " **I could even sell you.** " Cody looked up at him in pure disbelief. "Oh yes, little mate, its possible. Little boys like you fetch a good price on the market. There are people far, far worse than me out there, who will do a _lot worse,_ you'd **WISH** that I kept you here."

"W-what do you mean? What are they gonna do?"

  
"You don't know?" McLeach grimaced. Great, he didn't want to have to explain ** _that_ ** to him. "Some folks are real sick in the head; it's just a lot worse than what I'd ever do to you." He set the torch on the table, drumming his fingers on the wood. "The animals in my cages have a better life than the kids your age who wind up in the clutches of perverts, and if you piss me off too much, I know just the people to call to take you away."

No, of course, he wouldn't, even HE had a line he wouldn't cross, but Cody believed him. He quietened down, tears streaming down his face. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, now looking away from the older male.

It was at this point that McLeach noticed that the boy looked unusually pale, and he glanced down at his shin-blood was still trickling, down into a worryingly-sized puddle.

" * _Shit_!* " Was Cody anemic? Did the blade go in too deep? McLeach didn't waste time, and grabbed a dishtowel from his sink and hurrying to Cody. He wrapped the towel tightly around his leg, too tight, making him whimper pitifully. 

"Shaddup," McLeach muttered, knotting the towel, "Sit there, don't move." He went back to where he had put his kit, snatching it and practically ripping the lid open. When he got what he needed and made it back to Cody, the boy was leaning forwards, his leg up over the other. 

"Keep it like that." The poacher knelt in front of him, pouring iodine into the cloth. The smell stung his nose, and Cody flinched upon seeing what it was. 

"Don't-" Cody began before he got cut off.

"You want to get an infection??" McLeach snapped. He ripped the rag off of the wound, pressing the cloth in. Cody started to cry and wriggle, it was hurting him, but he at least didn't try and kick.

"There, there..atta lad." McLeach gently wiped the wound. It was still bleeding, but not as it had been before. He grabbed a roll of bandages, wounding it tightly around Cody's shin. Cody made no complaint, instead, he was sniffling. Once it was wrapped up, McLeach stood, his knees creaking awfully as he did so. Cody was staring up at him, then back down at his leg, a look of confusion on his face.

"What?" McLeach gruffed, stuffing the leftover bandages in the first aid kit. 

"..Why did you do that?" 

"I didn't want you bleeding all over my floor." The poacher said, snapping the lid shut.

"But you didn't have to put the medicine on." The boy countered. 

  
"Because uh.." The man cleared his throat roughly, muttering something akin to Cody being useless if he got sick from an infection. He looked Cody over again, realizing that he may pass out due to the blood he had lost, from the way he was gently swaying.

"Feel dizzy?"

"A...a little bit." Cody flinched when McLeach put a hand on the top of his head, pushing to make him look up at him.

"Listen. I don't need you fallin' and crackin' your little skull, so I'm going to stop for now; but if you try to pull anything, I'll let Joanna have at ya, got it?"

When the boy gave a small nod of confirmation, McLeach grabbed him around the middle, tucking him under his arm like a football, carrying him to one of the adjoining rooms that functioned as the poacher's bedroom. It was small, but cozy, with a large cushioned basket that was full of animal cracker crumbs and a harness draped over the rim, settled right next to a dirty mattress propped up on wooden crates with a pile of warm fur blankets. 

He plopped Cody on Joanna's bed, grabbing one of the blankets to throw on him. Cody winced as the cracker crumbs pressed into his legs; it was uncomfortable, but especially so since his leg was hurt. He watched as McLeach strode over to the one lone window in the room; it was at the top of the ceiling, so in addition to the bright blue Australian sky, Cody could see red dirt up against the glass, giving the room a soft, dusty glow. 

  
The man cracked the window open just enough to let fresh air in; Cody noticed that it was big enough for someone like Joanna to fit through, and maybe if he could find a way up there, he may be able to get out? He kept quiet and laid down, pulling the blanket over him and watched as McLeach exited the room, shutting the door behind him quite loudly, along with the sound of something scraping across the stone floor-he was barricading the boy in to make sure he didn't escape.

The blond waited, hearing the man's footsteps get fainter as he walked away. Slowly and carefully, he sat up. His head was still feeling funny, but he felt a bit better than before. His shin was hurting something awful; even when wrapped, it stung quite badly, and it was starting to feel very sore.

Cody winced as he got to his feet, having to hold onto the wall. It hurt when he put a lot of pressure on his leg, but he could still manage. He looked around the small room, and to the crates that were holding up McLeach's mattress, then to the stacked boxes leading up to the window. Maybe he could work his way up there? Cody limped over to the mattress, and struggled to climb up on it, having to flop like a little seal. The mattress smelled strange; like a mixture of alcohol and something else he couldn't quite identify, maybe the chemicals used to tan the hides of the poor animals? He felt something hard and flat underneath one of the fur blankets, and curiously lifted it; there was a couple of magazines, and they each had very pretty women on the cover. 

Curiously, Cody pulled one out to look at, but upon seeing the contents inside, he threw it back under the blanket, making a face. 

"Gross.." He stood up on the bed, wobbling with his hurt leg. He made his way over to the first box, and forced himself to work through the pain, going from one box to another. When he made it to the window, he realized that the handle to crank it open was rusty, and even with two hands, it wouldn't budge. 

"Oh come on!" He whispered, trying to force his full weight on the crank. He started to bounce a little, and felt it give way, the window opening a little more. Just a little more, and he'd be free!


	2. Chapter 2

A sharp pain went up his leg as a rough hand grabbed the back of his calf, squeezing tightly. Cody yelped, hitting his head on the window in surprise. He was roughly yanked off of the boxes, causing a few to tumble down on top of him. He shielded himself the best he could from them and looked up- to find McLeach looming above him, with an extremely angry look that sent chills down the boy's spine. 

**_"What did I tell ya, mate? WHAT did I TELL YA?"_ **

_"I-I-_ " Cody started to stutter, before the man kicked a box that was near his head, sending it flying across the room. 

" ** _I TOLD YA that if you tried anythin' funny-_** " McLeach kicked another box, accidentally breaking it, **_"I'd make you regret it!"_**

Not quite what he said; Cody could vaguely remember him mentioning Joanna, but he wasn't about to correct him, and braced himself when the man grabbed him by his arm, pulling him up so they were face to face. The boy was shaking, staring into the man's livid eyes, whimpering as it felt as if his arm was going to pop off from the force of his grip. 

  
"If I didn't know any better," McLeach growled, "I'd say you didn't like it here." He let go of his arm, letting him drop to the floor. Cody scrambled backwards as he strode to one of the boxes he had kicked, rummaging through it before withdrawing a set of rusty, heavy chains. Cody pressed himself against the wall in fear, closing his eyes and bracing for the worst. 

The man walked over to him, and grabbed his foot, shackling him to the chain. He tugged on it hard to make sure, before he knelt beside of the boy, grabbing his lower jaw and making him look towards the stack of fallen boxes. 

  
"How many boxes do you see?" he asked in a scathing tone that sent shivers down the boy's spine. 

"N-Nine.." Why was he being asked this?

"Nine boxes." McLeach let go of his face. "Nine boxes that * _you_ * made a mess of. Nine boxes-" He pulled the knife from earlier out of his coat pocket. " _Nine slashes_." 

"No!" Cody pulled away from him, attempting to crawl towards the door. McLeach grabbed at his shirt, but he lashed out with his good leg, kicking him just below the belt. McLeach howled, before slamming the knife down right beside of Cody's head, merely inches away. The boy froze up, and the man leaned over him, pain-induced sweat dripping off of him. 

"You _*fucking bastard._ * " He growled. Cody gulped; he realized that he just screwed himself over. The poacher grabbed him by his bad leg, dragging him back towards him. Cody turned his head away, not wanting to see the knife in the man's hand. He let out a shrill yell as he felt the stinging burn cut right under the bandaged part of his shin.

" **Count em!** " He shouted at Cody as he pierced the soft flesh. taking the time to drag the knife slowly. Cody couldn't help but to kick, a strangled scream leaving his throat as he felt the knife slip, making a diagonal tear.

_"ONE!"_

Another cut, right below this one. McLeach was doing his best to keep them shallow, but it didn't hurt any less.

" _TWO_!"

When Cody's shin was covered in lacerations, the knife moved up to above his knee. Cody cried and squirmed, but it only made it worse. The boy wanted to be anywhere else; he would rather be locked up in a cage than this. He felt the knife slice into the soft part of the skin above his kneecap, and he gasped out 'five.'

Blood was coating McLeach's hands; he was used to handling bloody things, but it was hard to keep Cody still; not that he could fault him for an involuntary reaction. He jerked on the chain, keeping it taut, making it very hard for him to move that particular leg around. When both legs were covered in slashes, he moved on to the back of the leg-those would be the most painful. 

"NINE! _NINE_!" There was a cry of relief in Cody's voice. He had cried until there were no more tears and his face was ruddy. McLeach tutted at him, giving a shake of his head. 

"No."

"Wh-"

"You kicked me. That earns you one more." There was something so special, seeing the boy's face twist into that of horror, begging with his eyes for him to put the knife down. He trailed the tip of the knife up to Cody's kneecap, being gentle to not leave a scratch. 

"I'm giving you a choice; do you want it * _here_?*" He pressed the tip into the soft spot; this would surely be the most painful place for it to be. "Or do you want it * _there_?*" He pointed the tip at Cody's neck. The boy's hands flew to cover his throat, eyes wide in horror and he shook his head fearfully. 

"Where, boy?"

"Knee.." The way he whimpered the word was so pathetic. Too bad that the cut on his neck would have been so light it'd barely have been there. McLeach jammed the knife into the soft tissue and Cody let out a choked cry. He shrieked as the knife was slowly pulled out, grabbing at the handle instinctively to yank it out himself.

McLeach grabbed his hand, giving him a warning glare. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. You gotta pull it out nice and slow or you'd hurt yourself bad." Once he pulled the knife free, McLeach wiped the blood off on Cody's shorts, stuffing it back in his pocket. He took a step back to admire his handiwork, and to make sure that they were bleeding just lightly enough to where Cody wouldn't need bandages

Satisfied at his punishment, McLeach grabbed the chain and pulled, dragging Cody towards his bed, and wrapped the chain around one of the crates to ensure he wouldn't be able to move without drawing attention.

"Don't you ever pull something that stupid again. The next time you try, I'll _kill_ ya."


	3. Chapter 3

To prevent Cody from trying to escape again, McLeach removed the crank handle from his window and stacked several more boxes on top of each other to cover the window until only a sliver of light could be seen from the top, dimming the room down considerably.

It wasn't as if McLeach didn't think about the boy escaping before; he just didn't think he'd be so bold and stupid as to attempt it so soon and while he was injured; it spoke of the blond's desperation, desperation the poacher hoped to use against him and wear him down to find that eagle.

Cody had not been left alone since his attempted escape; even while chained, the older man would not let him out of his sight, and any time McLeach had to be in a different part of the compound, Cody was dragged along. If he tried to resist, he was simply picked up and carried by the scruff of his shirt like a disobedient puppy, and to make him pay for insubordinate McLeach would not be gentle about it, tossing him about like a doll.

The small blond was seated in the kitchen, his arms folded across his stomach as he watched McLeach bustle around. He didn't see why the man would bother with making dinner; perhaps to make him hungry as another way to make him cave in? He winced at feeling his stomach rumble; it had been hours since he had eaten the sandwiches he packed that morning, and his mouth was feeling as dry as sand.

The sound of the torch lightening up made him jump out of his skin, but he was relieved to see that the poacher was only using it to heat a can of something; he couldn't see what it was from the back, but it had a funny smell.

When McLeach turned around with the bowl in hand, Cody crinkled his nose when he saw what the smell was: It looked to be a mix of different meat, judging from the bright pinks and soft whites and browns. It didn't look fully cooked and it sure looked unappetizing.

"What is that??"

"Mystery Meat." The man rummaged through a drawer to grab a spoon. "I canned it myself."

"What's in it??"

"That spoils the name, don't it? Take a guess."

"No thanks, I'll pass."

"Little mate, you're in no position to refuse it. This is the only food I got since *someone* decided to eat all my eggs." The man glared at Joanna, who had been napping under the table. She gave a sheepish look and grinned, scooting further underneath and out of sight. "I ain't got much, so take it or starve."

Before Cody could protest, his stomach let out an unusually loud grumble, which only served to prove McLeach's point. The man gave a smug grin, before kneeling in front of the boy, holding out a spoonful of the strange-smelling meat.

"Well, go on, take a bite." He pressed the spoon up to Cody's mouth. Reluctantly, the blond took the mouthful, trying to keep it from touching his tongue. It wasn't as bad tasting as he'd thought it'd be, however. Strange, but it wasn't making him feel sick. 

He chewed carefully, just in case something had been put in the food. Finding no unusual textures, he swallowed with a grimace. McLeach smiled and gently ruffled the top of his head, making the boy flinch back. 

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"It's gross.."

"But its food, innit?" He got another spoonful and held it out to Cody. "That koala meat is what makes it so great tastin'!"

Cody froze midway into eating the second spoonful, before pulling his head away, cheeks still stuffed, his eyes wide. If this was koala meat, he was not swallowing another bite.

"Peheheh...you look like a squirrel." McLeach snickered, "I was pullin' your leg, it's not koala meat. Honest." He tapped Cody's puffed cheek with the spoon. "I promise it's regular o'l farm animals in that mix."

Cody eventually swallowed it, now unsure about continuing to eat; aside from the mean prank the poacher just pulled, his throat was feeling dry.

"What's the matter?"

"I-I'm thirsty." 

"Hm, hold on." McLeach straightened himself up and set the bowl on the table, before ambling to his fridge. He rummaged through it, before pulling back and scratching his head.

"Welp..outta water." He grabbed a bottle from the side of the door, and carried it to the table, setting it down and taking his knife out to get the cap off. Cody didn't recognize what it was; he couldn't see the label, but it seemed to be a brown color?

"What soda is that?" Soda was a dessert-drink, so to have one as the main beverage instead of milk or juice was unusual for him. McLeach stared at him, quirking an eyebrow, a small half-smile appearing on his face. 

"Ya think this is soda, mate?"

"The soda mom gets comes in bottles like that."

"HA! It's not soda, boy. It's beer." McLeach pocketed the cap, bringing the bottle over to Cody. 

Cody frowned at the bottle, crinkling his nose up at the sharp smell coming from it. "I can't have beer yet." And he wouldn't be interested in trying it, even if he had been of age; beer smelled awful, it made people act weird when they had too much of it and he was pretty certain it was all-around bad for you.

McLeach shook his head at him, waving the bottle under his nose, making the boy pull his head back. "Come on, little mate, I got nothin' else here. You can either drink this or go thirsty."

"So what does Joanna drink?" Cody countered; surely lizards couldn't drink alcohol, where was Joanna getting her liquids from?

"There's a pool o' water no bigger than a dinner plate somewhere in the back of the mines, but it's not safe enough for humans to drink, I tried, so unless you want to be shittin' like a goose for the next week, you can't drink it." He pushed the bottle up to Cody's lips, a little too hard, ow! 

The small blond winced, but he was in no position to refuse. As he took his first big gulp, his eyes almost bulged out of his head, quickly swallowing; he coughed and spluttered, his throat burned! The beer tasted even worse than it smelled! He could hear McLeach laughing, and tried to glare at him through watering eyes. 

The man was hunched over, choking on his laughter. "Y-your face! Redder n' a baboon's ass!"

"Not funny!" Cody's yell turned into a gasp; he whimpered, feeling the burning in his throat worsen. McLeach was still grinning when he went to get Cody to drink it again. 

"It goes down a lot easier the second time."

Firmly clamping his mouth shut, Cody turned himself as far away as he was physically capable from the bottle. He'd rather go thirsty than to have to drink that nasty stuff again, even drink the bad water if it came down to it.  
McLeach's smile faded when the boy continued to refuse to drink. He grabbed his jaw and started to press extremely hard on his cheeks, where the 'hinge' of the mouth was. Cody wriggled, but he dug his nails into his face, making tears spring to his eyes.

Forcing Cody's head backward, Mcleach finally forced his jaw open, and dumped the rest of the beer down the blond's throat. He shut the boy's jaw tight so he couldn't spit. The burning sensation too much in his mouth, Cody swallowed the vile liquid that at this point could have been indistinguishable from poison. The poacher let go of him, and Cody spent the next couple of minutes coughing, feeling like his stomach was going to turn to mush.

As McLeach went to put the bottle in a box of other empty bottles, the sick feeling in Cody's stomach didn't go away. He groaned, leaning forwards and putting his head between his knees. His throat still tingled unpleasantly, and he wished dearly that he never told his captor that he had been thirsty. Maybe he should have just sucked it up and ate the meat, that at least was a little liquidy and wouldn't have been so bad.

Startled by the feeling of that large, rough hand on his back, Cody felt himself being pulled to his feet and half-carried down the hall. He felt his vision get blurry, whether from the beer or from the tears that had still not fallen, he couldn't tell. 

McLeach pushed open the door and entered his bedroom, all but lightly tossing Cody onto the mattress, and grabbed a wastebasket that was sitting by his desk to hand to him.   
"It'd be better if you took a nap, sleep it off a bit. You're gonna feel like shit til it's out of your system." He advised. Cody didn't think he'd be able to sleep with how bad he was feeling, but nodded anyway, and set the basket on the side of the bed, laying on his stomach. He tossed and turn for a few minutes to get comfortable before McLeach took one of the pillows and put it under his stomach.

Once the boy had gotten settled, McLeach quietly left the room and figured that Cody would be too ill to try and escape this time. He patted his pocket for his truck keys before he went to the steps that would lead up into what functioned as his garage.

"Let's go, Joanna. We gotta make a grocery run."


	4. Chapter 4

By the time they made it to the convenience store on the edge of some backwater town, the sun had started to set, casting a hazy, gorgeous golden glow over the horizon. It was clear that a dust storm had recently passed, as rusty-colored dust had been blown everywhere and clung to everything, Joanna included.

As the lizard did her best to wipe herself clean on the welcome mat, McLeach entered the store, which was cold and clean, a welcome reprieve from the outside. He reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out the shopping list he had made, going over each item as he grabbed a cart, pulling it alongside him.

The store wasn't as vacant as the man hoped; to his dismay he saw a gaggle of pretty college-aged girls gathered around one of the slushie machines, chatting amicably among themselves, though once one of them had spotted him, their chatter died down. Was it his hat and drizabone jacket that drew the attention? Joanna, who had joined his side at this point? Or did they recognize him from the wanted posters that seemed to be gaining more attention these days? It was hard for him to tell, and it made him uncomfortable. 

"Pardon me-" He gave what he hoped was a friendly smile as he scooted past the girls. The girl with the choppy blue hair stepped back almost immediately, looking quite intimidated by his appearance, whereas the dark-haired girl in the pink shirt crinkled her nose in disgust, pulling her neckline up to cover her nose in a dramatic fashion.

"He smells like a _septic tank_." She complained to her other friends, loud enough for McLeach to hear; it was obvious that she intended for him to overhear the surprisingly hurtful comment. The man his his frown, did he really smell that bad? It wasn't his fault he didn't have proper running water at the compound. One of the other girls, a tanned-up blondie, started to snicker, while the chubby redhead in the blue T shirt elbowed her. "Don't be rude!"  
  
"What?? He smells like he spent a week sleeping in a porta-potty."

There was the scurrying of claws on tile behind them, and the group of girls shrieked and scattered like cockroaches down the snack aisle; Joanna had not taken lightly to the insult directed at her owner and chased the pink-shirted girl until she had dove inside the bathroom, slamming it shut. The lizard clawed at the door, grumbling under her breath as she tried to find a way in. The others had split for the door, leaving it swinging wide open.

The sight was absolutely glorious, seeing them run like terrified insects, but he didn't want to get them banned from the store, let alone the cops being called on them. "Joanna." McLeach said sharply, "Heel." 

Joanna obeyed, scampering up to McLeach's side, giving her tail a little wag. He smiled down at her before bending to pet her head, and whispered, "That's my girl."

  
Gathering enough food and water to last them two weeks, McLeach pushed the now-heavy cart down the medicine aisle, pulling the crumpled list out of his front pocket to see what he'd need. 

"Bandages," He glanced down at Joanna, "We're gonna need bandages, band-aids, medical tape, and aspirin; that's the white bottle with the red label. Can you get that?"  
While the lizard was off retrieving the medical supplies, McLeach went to the soft drinks section, picking up a pack of Pepsi Max. Thinking better of it, he got two extra cases. Even though it was getting quite difficult to maneuver the cart around, he still had a few more things to get; the poacher sighed inwardly, knowing that this was going to take a huge bite out of his bank account. Why did things have to get so expensive? 

As he passed the magazine rack, he halted and backed up, checking out the new editions on the topmost shelf, away from the prying eyes of children. As he reached to grab the one with a scantily-clad model laying on the hood of a truck, he heard a sharp * **cough** * behind him. Startled, McLeach looked down, to find Joanna giving him the most un-amused look, her arms folded. She glanced at the dirty magazine in his hand, then back up to him, narrowing her yellow eyes.

"What?" He defended, laying the magazine face-down on top of the Pepsi cases. "I can get somethin' for myself too."

Joanna only rolled her eyes, before placing the medical supplies in the cart. They rolled up to the checkout, and the cashier stared incredulously at the overflowing cart in front of her. As she started to scan each item, McLeach took the time to browse the candy section; he'd be nice this time and pick up a little something for Cody.

"What do you think he'd like?" He asked Joanna, "Reese's, or Hershey's?" 

Joanna shook her head at both options and pointed her tail to the display of large, rainbow-swirled lollipops. They looked like the kind you could buy at any carnival. 

"You think so?"

After a minute of debating on which candy to get, Mcleach decided to be safe and grabbed the variety pack, putting it up on the counter. He then pulled out his wallet to pay and groaned inwardly when he saw his total: $115.

"Is that all for today, sir?" The cashier asked, tucking a loose strand of curly brown hair behind her ear. She looked rather nervous, and wouldn't look at him directly.

"Yep." He pulled out his card to swipe. He raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what her deal was. He then saw what had her so nervous; laying next to the small computer at the register was *his* wanted poster, his plasticine sneer gleaming under the store's fluorescents. There was a phone inches from her, and she was trying to inch towards it without the poacher noticing.

The sound of his fists slamming on the counter made the poor girl jump; her frightened brown eyes shot up to meet McLeach's cold blue ones.

"Let's make one thing clear, miss.." His gaze flickered down to her nametag. "Annie. I was never here. You never saw me. If I catch word that you told anyone, I'll come back and make you regret it. Got it?"

Silence.

"I said **GOT IT?** "

Annie started to shake, and she nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. Satisfied, McLeach grabbed his groceries and headed towards the door, clicking his tongue to catch Joanna's attention. The lizard grabbed the remaining bag with her tail and trotted after her owner.

As they were heading back to the truck, McLeach noticed the same group of girls as before, this time they were talking to a pudgy brunette who looked around their age. One of the girls-Miss Blue Hair- looked over her shoulder, grabbing the pudgy girl's arm and pointing. Oh shit.

_"There, that's him!"_

"Fuck.." The poacher muttered under his breath. He picked up his walking pace. When he looked over his shoulder, he noticed to his dismay that Miss Pudgy was following him, phone in hand to record him.

**"Hey, hey you!!"**

"Bug off." He started to speedwalk, giving Joanna a light kick in the butt to get her going. "I got places to be."

"Your lizard attacked my friends!" 

  
Not sure whether he should be relieved that she didn't recognize him from any wanted posters, McLeach shot back at her. "She wasn't attackin' them for no reason. They couldn't keep their yaps shut."

"You're not even supposed to have a monitor lizard; they're illegal around here! Let alone letting one in the store-"

_"Oh, shut yer cock holster_." 

The young woman froze in her tracks, staring wide-eyed at him. The shock was replaced by anger, and she lifted her phone higher to get a better shot of his face.

"You're being incredibly rude!!" Her tone had reached a sharp pitch, making the man cringe. 

"And you are being incredibly annoying! I'm not apologizin' for my girl doin' what she did. What are you going to do with that video, anyway?? Post me to the You-Tube?"

He made it to his truck, fumbling to keep hold of the grocery bags as he retrieved his keys, and threw them in the cage. He shut the door closed and locked it tight, and Joanna had already scrambled her way up the ladder into the cab, and her owner followed suit. McLeach started up his truck, but seen that the woman was still trying to film him and check the front of his truck at the same time,

"Thinkin' she can get my license plate, eh?" 

The woman had seen the man twist in his seat, and she had only taken her eyes off of him for a minute to check for a plate before she heard a loud BANG, and something hit the dirt by her feet. Jumping back, she saw McLeach aiming his shotgun at her, a vicious look on his face.

  
"That was a warnin' shot!" He yelled down to her. "Next time I won't miss!"

That was all that was needed for the woman to take off running, tripping over her feet. He thought about firing another shot, but thought better of it, stowing it back on his rack and quickly putting his truck in drive, pulling away as fast as he was able to. Joanna clung to the seat as they rumbled down the desolate road.

Gripping the steering wheel tighter than normal, McLeach kept looking into the rearview mirror to see if they were being followed.

"That was too close, way too damn close." He muttered, reaching over to flip on the radio, twisting the dial until it came to the news station. So far, there was nothing about him being spotted at the store, or anyone phoning in about the gunshot. He settled back in his seat, glancing over at Joanna, who had her head on the dashboard. "Wouldn't you say, girl?"

  
Joanna looked up at him and nodded, a tired smile on her face, before returning her gaze to the birds flying just in front of them, tail swishing ever so slightly.

It was dark when they arrived at the compound, and with Joanna's help, McLeach carried the groceries down the steps, beelining for the fridge to put the perishables away first. After stocking up the fridge, he placed the Pepsi Max cases on the table and broke the plastic covering to retrieve one, opening the can with a satisfying crack. He deserved one, after all.

Joanna hopped up on the counter to rummage through the rest of the bags, taking out the small pack of animal crackers she had been allowed to get, carrying it over to her little hideaway for later, leaving a small trail of red dust that had been trapped under her claws.

Seeing the dust made McLeach realize that he probably was dusty too, and one glance down at himself confirmed it; it was clinging to his boots, his pants, his coat..well, it was time for another wash. He set off to the sitting room to the fireplace, where he had replaced the boiling pot of water from early on that day. Deeming it hot enough judging from the gentle steam rising, he grabbed the pot and hoisted it down the hall to his makeshift 'bathroom.'

He kicked open the door and poured the hot water inside the shabby little 'tub' in the corner, and once that was done, went to his room to retrieve some clean clothing. It was on his way back to the bathroom that he remembered the new magazine.

Taking a detour to the kitchen, he looked around to make sure Joanna wasn't watching with her judging eyes, and snatched the magazine from the bag, tucking it under his coat as he shuffled off to the bathroom.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little warning, this is a fanservice chapter, so its not really plot-relevant, so if you are uncomfortable with reading about butts, you can skip to the next chapter.

The steaming warm water beckoned to him; it had been a little over two weeks since McLeach had taken a proper bath unless wiping himself down with a wet rag every two days counted. The man took a bottle of soap and dumped it into the small tub, swirling it around to get it to froth. When he was happy with the amount of bubbles, he started to strip, starting with his jacket.  
He slid the jacket off of himself, and untied his bandana, bringing it up to his nose to sniff, before tossing it onto the jacket. His shirt went over his head, though he struggled for a minute; he forgot to unbutton the two buttons at his neck.  
Once that was off, he slipped the suspender straps from his shoulders, and slid his pants down past his hips, stepping out of them and kicking it to the side. He turned to look at himself in the dirty, cracked full-length mirror propped up against the wall. Well, full-length wasn't accurate, as the bottom half of it had been broken some time ago, so it only showed the poacher from the knees-up.

It was odd, being able to see his own body like that. McLeach didn't bother with mirrors if he could help it, there really wasn't any use fretting over his appearance; he had nobody to impress. He turned to the side, looking at his body's profile.  
Tall with lanky arms and legs, skinny forearms, and a body that didn't match; if McLeach had to compare his body to anything, it would be an overstuffed bean. He didn't mind it, even if it did make shopping for new pants a pain in the ass. Speaking of ass...  
The man twisted himself around a little more, to get a good look at it. Even when he was younger and didn't have his potbelly, he always had an ass, and it seemed to have only gotten bigger as he aged. Big, plump, and firm with a single 'beauty mark' above his right cheek, it surely was what he considered his most attractive feature.

Giving a smirk, he slapped his ass, just to see it jiggle. Too bad he didn't have anyone to share the McPeach with.

McLeach went to the tub and stepped in, lowering himself as carefully as he could. The tub was too small for him to relax properly in, and he cursed as he felt himself slip, grabbing onto the edge and causing some bubbly water to slop out and onto the floor. Huffing, he grabbed his torn-up towel and folded it, and placed it on the edge of the tub so he could lean back comfortably, sticking one leg out to have more room. The man leaned over to grab his magazine from on top of his clean clothes, grinning to himself as he flipped it open.

Creeeeeeak.  
The noise didn't register with the man at first; the mines were old and made all sorts of noises, but this creak was rather distinct, of old wood. He glanced up from his magazine, only to come nose-to-nose with Joanna, who had crept up to him. 

"MOTHERFUCK-" He jumped, slipping and flailing his limbs. Joanna shrieked and fell back, a small wave splashing out of the tub and over her. She coughed and spluttered, blindly grabbing at her owner's shirt to wipe the soap out of her eyes.

"GIT OUT!" McLeach yelled, his magazine now sopping wet. He threw it at Joanna, smacking her hard on the back of the head. She yelped and skittered back, slipping and sliding as she ran for the door, not even bothering to slam it shut on her way out. 

"GIT!" He slunk back into the now half-empty tub, shivering as a cold breeze swept the room. "Fuckin' pervy lizard.."


	6. Chapter 6

While Cody hadn't thrown up, he wish he had. His stomach was still aching something awful, and he felt dazed, as if he had been hit in the head with a sack of bricks. He had thought about trying to escape again, but he had been in too much discomfort to move. He was able to sit up now, though his head throbbed. Slowly, he brought himself to his knees, taking deep breaths to try and quell the immense nausea in the pit of his stomach.

Looking around the room, Cody noticed that there was something new this time; he saw McLeach's large coat draped over the back of a chair. He slid off the bed, and made his way over, reaching out with a tentative hand to touch. The leather coat was dry and felt quite worn as he rubbed the material between his fingers; it looked old, but he could only see minimal cracking in the leather, the jacket was well taken care of; it was clearly one of the more prized possessions the poacher had, given the state of disrepair the rest of the hideout had, which were fixed only to functionality.

Cody pulled it off of the chair, and even though he held it up as high as he could on his tippy-toes, the bottom half of the jacket was still on the stone floor. He brushed at the dust on it, a small reddish cloud billowing as he did so. Getting an idea, he slipped it on, but his arms wouldn't even go all the way through the sleeves. Cody flapped the sleeves like giant wings, giggling. The jacket was weighty, and felt oddly comfortable; it smelled like how leather should.

  
It also smelled familiar; Cody swore he smelled this particular scent somewhere before, but when?

  
Realizing that the poacher may have left something in the pockets, Cody patted down the leather, feeling for the pocket slit. He dug his hand in, grimacing as he felt his hand brush a moist, slimy tissue..ew, not a snot-rag..McLeach was disgusting. He cringed, trying to wipe his hand off in the pocket lining. He checked the other pocket; he felt a few coins and what may have been a set of earplugs, before his fingers closed around a firm, smooth wooden handle. He slid the knife out of the pocket, turning it over in his hand; it was sheathed, and the handle was stained a pretty red color. He stowed it away in his boot, pushing it down enough to hide the handle from view. It was pressing against his ankle bone uncomfortably, but it'll have to do until he could find a better hiding place for it.

Not a moment before the weapon disappeared, the bedroom door swung open, revealing McLeach dressed in different clothing than he had been before. Cody had vaguely remembered the man returning not too long ago-after all that's how the coat got there- but in his sickened haze he hadn't quite registered it. The both of them stared at each other, with Mcleach's brows furrowing upon seeing Cody in his jacket.

  
"..The _fuck_ are you doing, little mate?"

"I-I got cold.."

" _Cold_." It wasn't a questioning tone; the man folded his arms across his chest, cocking an eyebrow at the boy. " _I know what's goin' on_.."

Cody gulped; did he figure out he had taken the knife? Even as he was in a comfortable jacket, his hands started to go clammy.

"You just wanted to try it on because it looks cool, didn't ya?" McLeach couldn't help but smile a little; he knew his coat looked badass, and didn't blame Cody for wanting to wear it; as a kid himself, McLeach had done his fair share of dress-up, though he would get punished when he was caught. He figured there was no harm in letting the boy wear it; it was durable enough.

Withholding a relieved sigh, Cody gave a small nod, drawing the leather coat tighter around himself, watching as the poacher gave a gentle shake of his head, albeit smiling, before pointing behind him casually towards the dim hallway. 

"Dinner is ready, go and get it before it gets cold."

Dinner? His light demeanor confused Cody. Just hours earlier this man was using him as a knife-sharpener and was yelling at him until he had gone red in the face and then forced him to drink disgusting beer; why was he acting friendly? What did he have planned? Was dinner poisoned? 

With great hesitation, Cody ventured towards the bedroom door, not taking his eyes off of McLeach as he shrugged off the coat, which McLeach took from him. When he was distracted with putting the coat away, Cody half-sprinted to the kitchen, almost stumbling over Joanna, who had slunk out of her hiding spot.

  
" **Agh!** " The boy managed to regain his footing in time, extending his arms to catch himself on the edge of the table. Joanna let out a soft squeal at being trod upon, though she didn't look too hurt. Instead, she glared at the boy, and flicked her tongue out at him before she slithered to under the table, where she had a small tin bowl with her name written in sharpie, scrawled out in blocky, childish lettering. She buried her snout into the bowl before Cody could take a good look at its contents, and turned his attention instead to the table to see what sort of food the poacher cooked up.

Taking a good look at the table, there were only two bowls, both of them filled with the same food; an unappetizing-looking yellowish mush that Cody was sure was overcooked rice, chopped carrots, hunks of meat, wrinkled peas and four hardboiled eggs sat in the mixture, their freshly peeled skin glistening under the kitchen light. Just to be sure, Cody took both bowls and switched them, just in case McLeach did something to the bowl intended for him. The boy wasn't dumb; this man was being way too nice to him for no reason.

After a minute, McLeach entered the kitchen; judging from the wetness on his face and hands, he had taken the time to wash himself up a little; that gave Cody some hope that he washed his hands before making dinner. The poacher slid into his chair, taking his -really Cody's- bowl and popping an entire egg into his mouth. There was a scrabbling under the table; Joanna had crawled her way over to her owner, tongue hanging out of her mouth and wriggling excitedly. With a chuckle, McLeach took one of the eggs to drop in her waiting mouth, which she swallowed with gusto. Cody felt a little pit of dread in his stomach; if Leach had poisoned the eggs, Joanna would get sick too- but several minutes went by without a reaction from either of them. Maybe they weren't poisoned after all.

  
Figuring the eggs were the best thing to start with, Cody picked one up and took a tentative bite; his eyes widened at its taste; it was, for lack of a better word, unusual. It didn't taste like a chicken egg, but it wasn't disgusting by any means. It was unusually soft, mushy, even, with a almost-pleasant tanginess.

"How do you like them eggs?" McLeach asked, after he swallowed his second egg. Joanna whined at his feet for another, but he gently nudged her away with his shoe. "First time I've boiled these; normally I fry 'em up and eat 'em with toast."

  
"They're weird tasting," Cody went to peel apart the second egg to get a look at its yolk; its strangely off-colored yolk was closer to green than it was yellow, before taking a bite of it. "What kind of eggs are these?"

_"Joanna's_ eggs _."_

  
It took a moment for that to register with the young blond. He sat there in shock, his mouth full of the lizard's egg. He stared at McLeach, horror spreading across his face. So THAT was the trick..

"What's the difference between her eggs and a chicken's egg?" The man smirked at his reaction, taking another egg to eat, "They function the same way. I got no boy lizard runnin' around here, so they're guaranteed unfertilized, so you're not eating baby lizards if that's what you're worried about. She lays a clutch every so often, and we don't waste food here, do we girl?" Figuring Cody wasn't going to eat the rest of his eggs, McLeach leaned over to take another, tossing it to Joanna to munch on, which she did so happily. 

Feeling sick. Cody pushed his bowl away, not even in the mood to touch anything else. That, combined with the already-sick feeling still lurking in his stomach from his consumption of alcohol earlier. McLeach took notice of this, frowning at him.

  
"Wassamatter? Food not good enough for ya?"

"I-I don't feel too good."

"I'll say. You're lookin' green 'round the gills, little mate." McLeach reached over to feel the side of his face for a fever; but Cody flinched away, leaning back in his chair. "Hey, I ain't gonna hurt ya."

  
Cody had to bite his tongue, hard enough to make it hurt. He had a few choice words for the poacher on that comment, given how he hurt him earlier; the cuts on his legs hadn't even begun to heal and here he was, trying to act all friendly. Instead he sat stiffly, trying to not frown at the rough hand that was now resting against his cheek, then to his forehead; he couldn't help but shudder.

"Hm, you are feelin' a little warm." McLeach frowned as drew his hand back, going to take Cody's bowl as well as his own to put in the fridge, then came back with a bottle of water, handing it to Cody. Relieved it wasn't beer this time, the boy took the bottle, though he could only get a few swallows in before a sharp pain went through his stomach. He forced himself to drink a little more before settling the mostly-full bottle down. Upon seeing that he didn't drink all that much, McLeach started to wonder if the boy was sicker than he realized. 

  
"Do you feel like you're gonna spew?"

Cody gave a quiet nod. Sighing, McLeach went to the cabinet under his kitchen sink to pull out a small plastic bag to give to the child; he wasn't in the mood to be cleaning up messes. He was starting to regret giving the boy the beer; he didn't give him that much, did he? Could Cody not handle one bottle of alcohol, or were kids more fragile than he thought they were?

"Little mate, if you need to go lie down-"  
  
  
"Don't call me little mate. My name is Cody."   
  
  
There was a pause.  
  
  
"Your name is _Cody?"_  
  
  



	7. Chapter 7

"Yes, that's my name.." Cody gave the poacher a funny look. "Why, what's wrong?"

McLeach stared at Cody for a few minutes, his brows knitted together; Cody could have sworn that he was overworking his brain trying to figure something out, he could practically hear the cogs grinding.

"..Nothing, it's that I used to know someone named Cody."

"It's a very common name." Cody was confused, why was he looking at him so strangely?   
  


"I know it is, its not something you'd understand." McLeach sighs. He walked away from the table back to the counter, taking some of the other dirty dishes he let pile up and putting them in the metal basin that served as the sink, giving one of the knobs a few twists until a small trickle of water started to come out of the faucet. 

  
"Was he a friend?" Cody asked. He opened his water bottle to take some slow sips as the poacher hunched over the basin. "Mama wears an apron when she washes dishes."

"Do I look like a mama to you?" McLeach snapped, ignoring the question. "I always wash 'em like this."

"Mama says the apron keeps your clothes from getting wet."

"This is how I wash my clothes too. It's multi-tasking."

Deciding it was best to not annoy him any further, Cody started to fiddle with the bottle gap, his water was almost gone now; he wanted to ask for another one, but he wanted to wait until the man got the dishes done, if only to avoid pissing him off.

Hot breath ghosted over Cody's leg, startling him. He looked down to see Joanna putting her snout against the large band-aid on his shin, taking a curious whiff. She could smell the blood, and she looked up at him, furrowing her nonexistent brows in worry. When her master turned around, she quickly slunk back under the table, grabbing her bowl in her mouth and carrying it back to him, standing up on her hand legs to place it in the basin, earning herself a head pat. 

"Good girl, Joanna." The man said softly, a small smile gracing that worn-out face of his. Despite him kicking Joanna and yelling at her back at the trap-hole earlier, he seemed to care quite a bit for his scaly companion; that puzzled Cody immensely. It was clear that this man hated animals, but he seemed to have made an exception for the goanna, treating her like she was a dog more so than the giant, fearsome reptile she is.

While he was busy with the dishes, Cody got up off of his chair, and quietly walked out of the kitchen area, making sure not to draw the poacher's attention. He looked around what he could see of the compound's main room, until he located the stairs that led up to the 'garage' of the place. The stairs made him feel uneasy; they were narrow, steep and twisted, he couldn't fathom how the poacher carried him down kicking and wriggling without falling. 

  
The boy stepped back to look further up the steps, and noticed to his dismay that there was two locks on the door; the first lock was a sliding bolt, that should be easy, if he had something to stand on given how high up it was. The second was a heavy padlock.

Escape was impossible without a key. A heavy, rock-shaped feeling formed in Cody's gut when he realized that the key was on McLeach's key ring- the key ring that was in one of his inside pockets. Cody groaned inwardly; this would not be easy. 

  
Walking back to the kitchen, he seen that his captor was still washing stuff-but not dishes. Cody withheld a gag when he saw him turn around and draped a wet brown sock over one of the pipes. The man caught sight of his disgusted face, and chuckled.

"Be glad I'm not making you do my laundry, little mate. Least you could do since you're gonna be here til you tell me where that nest is."

  
"No!"

"It's just a dumb animal, mate. I don't see why you care so much." 

  
"Marahute is NOT a dumb animal!! She's really smart!!" Cody's voice cracked; he tried to keep from yelling, he really did. "Don't call her dumb!"

  
" _Marahute_??" McLeach fought the urge to smile. "Aw, you named her~"

"I didn't name her, that's her name."

"So the bird told you her name? Suuuure."

"No, a kangaroo did."

There as a clatter as the bowl slipped from McLeach's hand.

"....Little mate, roos don't talk."

"Yes they do!"

"...Didja hit your head when you fell in the lizard hole?"

  
"I know that wasn't a lizard hole!" The boy scowled, crossing his arms. "I already know you're a poacher and I know that's a trap!"

"It's a lizard hole." McLeach smirked; he enjoyed riling up Cody, it was funny seeing his anger rising. "I'm the grown-up here, little mate. What I say goes, and I say that's a lizard hole."

"Sometimes grown-ups are wrong!"

"No we're not. We're smarter than little kids. I'm smarter than you."

"So what's two times six?" Cody challenged. This was something that they had started to learn in school and it was the only complicated one he knew the answer to.  
The man stared at the blond, trying to work that out in his head. He even tried counting on his fingers discreetly. 

"Eight!" 

"Nuh uh, its twelve!" 

"It's eight." McLeach said firmly. "And speaking o' which, its eight o' clock, which means its time for bed." Then it hit McLeach- Cody didn't have a bed. Sure, he slept on McLeach's bed that afternoon, but that was only because the poacher felt bad about making him sick. No, he didn't feel bad, he just decided to show him he CAN be nice. "You go sleep on the floor."

  
"My mom lets me stay up until nine." Cody grumbled, but he still went down the hall to McLeach's room. He didn't feel particularly tired, having napped all day, and he had no intention of going to sleep. He heard the clicking of nails on stone and turned around to see Joanna following him. She squeezed past him and gave him a look that told him that he better get moving, before she entered the bedroom. 

  
The lizard waddled over to her doggie bed and stood up, grabbing one of her blankets with her teeth and dragging it to the floor, pushing it around until it made a suitable nest. She then looked to Cody and pointed to the nest with her tail before she went to climb up into her bed. 

  
Surprised by the lizard's sudden kindness, Cody went over to the nest and sat in it. "Thank you?" it wasn't comfortable, as he could still feel the floor and he had no pillow, but he wasn't going to be ungrateful about it; the goanna was nicer than her owner, at least. he figured it was her way of apologizing to him after she jumped on him earlier. 

Upon hearing footsteps, Cody laid down, resting his head on his arms. He watched as McLeach entered the room, taking his hat and putting it on a stand that was duct-taped together before walking over to his bed, stepping over Cody and lazily tossing him a tattered pillow. 

Cody took the pillow and tucked it under his head. The bed creaked as McLeach sat himself down on it, the boxes supporting it groaning to where Cody cringed, expecting the boxes to collapse.

McLeach fumbled with his boot laces, kicking them off and grabbing his blanket to wrap himself in. He rolled over on his side, trying to get as comfortable as his back pain would allow him. Reaching over, he flicked on his lamp, casting the room in a dim, warm glow.  
"Nighty night, Joanna. Nighty night, little mate..and nighty night, whatever's in the hallway." He grinned as he heard a faint squeak from Cody. Joanna snickered from her basket; oh, how mean of him. Cody tried to not let it get to him; he knew that McLeach was just messing with him, he hoped.

  
"Don't say that," The blond muttered, scooting himself further from the door. "There's nothing out there."

  
"And how can you be so sure? I'm the one that lives here." The poacher challenged. He heard Cody shift uncomfortably.

  
"Because you're really mean and you're just trying to scare me!"

  
"Oh, _am I?"_ McLeach couldn't help but to make it worse, "Do you know what they say about this opal mine? About what happened that made the miners up and abandon it?"

  
"Their business ran out of money to pay them so they left." Cody spoke with confidence; he had read about this in school. He felt a chill go through his spine at McLeach's dark cackle.

"Oh, that's what the upper management told people, but its not the truth. You see, workers went missin' in the mines, and they could never find them." He dropped his voice low, attempting to sound as creepy as possible. "They said they could hear scuttlin' in the natural tunnels, somethin' wasn't happy that they were there. Then equipment started going missin'. One of the supervisers decided to try and find who was responsible. Some men say they saw him standing next to one of the rock pools, and he leaned down to grab somethin' he dropped in the water...and..." he flung himself to the side of the bed, leaning over. _**"SOMETHINGRABBEDHIM!"**_

 _ **"BRAGHHH!"**_ Joanna screeched, having had the same idea and swung her head down, making the best scary face she could. Cody screamed and threw the pillow over his head, scrunching up as small as he was able to. McLeach started to laugh, leaning over to give Joanna high-five, before rolling back on the bed. Joanna was wheezing with laughter, though she almost fell out of her basket.

"It's not funny!" Cody whimpered.

_"And that thing still roams these mines!_ " McLeach grinned with malice. He rolled back on his side, only to feel pressure on the bed. "Ey, get back down there."

"No." Cody shook his head, pulling the blanket and pillow up with him. McLeach turned to yell at him, only to see the boy's face splotchy-red, his tear-streaks glistening in the lamplight. Great, now he's probably too scared to sleep.

"Oh come on, you can't be THAT scared." McLeach huffed. "I was messin' with ya." He frowned when Cody scooted to the empty spot on the bed next to him, clearly not going to change his mind. "Hey, arencha afraid I'll crush ya? I roll around a lot."

"I'm more afraid of that thing in your story." Nevertheless, Cody used his blanket to put between him and McLeach, though it wouldn't really had done much if the man did roll over. The man's face softened.

"I'm the scariest thing in this mine, Cody. Even if something did live in here I wouldn't let it getcha."

  
The boy didn't reply, but he did look over to him; that was the first time he called him by his name. He turned away and wrapped himself in Joanna's blanket, curling up. Sighing, McLeach turned away from him as well. Hopefully, he'll forgive him by morning.


End file.
